Faults:

Rear suspension bushes.

Climate control stepper door.

Alloy wheel rims cracked (previous owner liked kerbs).

General Comments:

My car is a very rare edition of the 9-5 Aero, with the factory 'Saab Performance By Hirsch' 305BHP conversion, with upgraded ECU, intake, turbo, intercooler, brakes, interior, suspension, wheels, and stainless steel exhaust (all Hirsch items).

Mid-range acceleration is akin to being launched into hyperspace, yet the car still returns an average of 8.2 litres per 100km; V8 performance with four pot fuel economy.

The heated and cooled leather seats are so amazing and comfortable that I'm worried I might doze off on the motorway one day, but with that Millenium Falcon-like acceleration just a blip of the right foot away, staying awake isn't too difficult.

The all black paintwork with black alloys gives the Hirsch a look which strikes just the right balance between elegant and sinister.

If you have a 9-5 Aero and are considering a Hirsch conversion, I have two words for you. Do it.

Faults:

The sunroof deflector needed to be replaced, as the clips that held it in place were loose and made a cracking noise when the roof was opening or closing.

The clutch can be a bit jumpy when hot, and also makes a moaning noise when you engage the clutch when hot, usually only starting in 1st gear.

Rear suspension is noisy over bumps in cold weather, and I have no idea why.

Clips that hold the air filter box in place are broken. I was informed that all 9-5's do that and it was nothing to worry about.

General Comments:

This car is the nicest I have ever owned, and by far the best Saab I have ever driven.

This car handles very well for its size, and has a lot of power, especially on the highway.

The ride is very quiet, even at high speeds, and rides like a dream on the highway.

The gas mileage is incredibly for a car of this size, and for the amount of power it has.

Interior quality is fantastic, the leather seats are very nice and the most comfortable seats possible; the materials are very high quality and feel great.

All the controls are in the perfect place, the cup holder is a bit strange, although better than the Saab 9-3.

This car is the best of the best. I previously owned a 2003 Saab 9-3, and that Saab was poorly built, and this Saab 9-5 has that car beat by a long shot.

Faults:

Very little.

Xenon headlights flash when turned off, and sometimes the headlight warning alarm comes on, but turn them off and on again and they are fine.

Front indicator fell off in first day of ownership. Replaced immediately by dealer who acknowledged the mechanic had not fitted it correctly when replacing all bulbs. Been fine since.

General Comments:

I purchased this car to replace my aging Nissan Almera GTI, which had been a great car, but I needed something roomier with decent performance.

I found this Saab 9-5 Aero model on the Internet when I discovered how much mid-range power these things have. I am not suggesting they are as good as a BMW M5, but being a lot cheaper, they are very well equipped for what you pay for.

Exterior: Love em or hate em, the Saab styling is individual, but this is a big solid looking car, with the slight Aero body kit hinting at its potential performance. Looks far more expensive than the £3000 I paid for it. The paintwork appears to be of good quality, for a car that has done over 110,000 miles it has very few stone chips. The car is quite long, and vision of the front and rear extremities of the car can be hard to judge. Thankfully it has rear parking sensors which help, but you have to watch that front.

Interior: A great place to be, it is roomy and the heated leather seats are very comfortable even on long journeys. They aren't as bucket like as some, but are holstered enough to keep you in place when cornering sharp. The dashboard layout is a hat tip to the inside of an aircraft with everything working well and most controls easily reachable. Saab putting the ignition and electric windows in the centre console took a bit of getting used to, but that is minor. I love the standard of the equipment in the interior, lights come on when you turn the engine off, you can run the 7 speaker stereo (which is of very good quality) with the ignition off, vanity mirrors have lights on them, and the on-board SID computer is easy to use and informative (mpg, trip, max speed alarm, if a bulb blows etc).

Performance: Having 250bhp using a high pressure turbo, this car can be driven very smoothly. Keeping the turbo gauge in the green will allow you to cruise with little fuss and the car returns some reasonable mpg. I have managed 39mpg when cruising at about 70mph on the motorway. Put your foot down enough and the high pressure boost certainly has enough powerful for good overtakes. I can see why this is as quick as a Porsche 911 between 40mph-70mph. My only criticism is that sometimes you can catch it off boost. The engine seems pretty lag free for a turbo engine but sometimes it seems as though the engine computer has to have a think before it will give you full boost. It's hard to explain, but in general the engine strikes a good balance between being smooth and quick.

Handling: This car won't win any awards for its handling feedback. Great when you are in the mood for an effortless drive, but when you want to get involved in the drive, it's a bit numb compared to some. Being front wheel drive is another disadvantage when putting the 250bhp through them, especially if the road surface is muddy, wet etc. Saying that, being front wheel drive means it feels very safe and going into corners the car grips exceedingly well. There is a slight feel of body roll when you corner sharply, which felt unnerving at first, but your confidence soon grows as the car grips far better than some other saloons I have driven. Powering out of the corner you just have to be steady with your right foot to get that balance between power & adhesion. The traction control appears to do its job, preventing you doing anything too silly, and doesn't kick in too early, but I just switch it off if I want to get somewhere briskly in poor road conditions, as it becomes a hindrance, as it is still traction control and not a human. (I'm sure race enthusiasts know what I mean)

What could be better:

Well, Saab are starting to bring out 4x4 versions. If they could put their skill into making these 4x4 or rear wheel driven, and with a bit more driver involvement, they would handle even more power and would be one hell of a car. Oh and front parking sensors but thats me being picky, and lazy.

Overall:

Great car and great spec for the money, with mile crushing ability. It's no M5 or Merc AMG, but it's hard to find an executive saloon car for the price these Aero's go for that will beat them for the performance/luxury/reliability. Get one before people catch on and the prices go up.